Disclaimer: The story is mine, the characters are not. I am just borrowing them for a while and will return them as soon as the story ends or until they rebel against me…whichever comes first.
Chapter 1: The Stage Is Set
Miaka burst in through the front door of the Yuuki residence, startling everyone with her sudden entrance. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and her hazel eyes were alight with a sort of joy which she had not displayed since she had last returned from inside the Book of the Four Gods.
"Where have you been? Yui-chan said you weren't in school! She was so worried that she came over looking for you!" Keisuke was relieved that nothing had happened to his little sister. One could never be too sure when it came to Miaka…disaster had a way of following her around like an over-enthusiastic puppy. He wondered what could have possibly happened to make her so happy. Well, she's going to be thrilled once she sees the surprise we've got for her!
Yui glared at her with mock annoyance, "You stood me up for lunch! I thought the world was going to end!" she pouted, masking her worry. Miaka loved eating too much, and nothing short of a force ten gale could prevent her from keeping an appointment with food…
Her best friend beamed happily at her, "Sorry, Yui-chan! You'll never guess who I met—" her voice caught in her throat, abruptly trailing off as a young man with dark, tousled hair and soft violet eyes stepped out from behind Keisuke. In her excitement, she had failed to notice the extra person in the room.
"—today…" she finished weakly. Miaka stared at the person before her, not sure if he was an illusion conjured up by her mind as a cruel joke. "Tama…Tamahome?" she whispered uncertainly, tears beginning to fill her eyes. She lifted a trembling hand to her lips, and the light glinted off the silver of her wedding ring.
"Miaka, I'd like you to meet Taka," Keisuke grinned widely, "He's a freshman at the university. He just came in this semester!"
Taka Sukunami took a step towards the girl whose image had haunted his dreams for as long as he could remember. His eyes met hers, searching for the answers he had been looking for all his life. Yes, it really is her! He could hardly believe that she was real. Slowly raising his hand, he showed her the ring which matched hers perfectly.
"Finally…I've finally found you."
"Now, isn't this an amazing coincidence,"� a deep voice commented, causing everyone to jump. All eyes turned towards the source, like compass needles swinging to magnetic north. It belonged to a tall, blonde man who was leaning against the door frame with his arms folded across his chest. His arrival and subsequent presence had gone unnoticed in the midst of the poignant romantic drama which had been unfolding.
The visitor looked up, as though surprised at the sudden attention he was receiving, a corner of his mouth quirking briefly in a lopsided smirk, "Don't mind me." His clear blue eyes moved to rest on Miaka's best friend, "Hello…Yui."
Keisuke was at a loss for words. It took him a few seconds to realise that his jaw was hanging open and he closed it with an almost audible snap. No…it couldn't be! That's…that's…
"Na—Nakago?" Yui stammered, her customary poise having deserted her. She had gone as white as a sheet. Intellectually, she knew that he had changed considerably since her last encounter with him. He was no longer the same person who had manipulated her into becoming the Seiryuu no Miko and turned her against her friend. So many things had happened since then, and he had done so much to help Miaka, but…
Reading about both him and Miaka in the Book of the Four Gods was one thing; meeting him as a person in this world was quite another. She never thought she would have to face him again…a spectre from a time she was trying so hard to forget.
Outwardly, he looked almost the same, except in place of the armour she recalled, he now wore modern clothes. While Yui had trouble reconciling her memories of him with the present, he seemed perfectly at home in a pair of black jeans and a slate-grey long sleeved shirt, which had been left unbuttoned at the throat.
He approached her, moving with the same fluid masculine grace she remembered him as always possessing, "Actually, it's Nicholas now," he said, a faint smile ghosting over his handsome features. Inclining his head slightly towards Miaka, he continued, "but she seems to prefer calling me Nakago."
"Nicholas," she tested the unfamiliar English name on her tongue, "I…I'd prefer calling you that…if you don't mind," she whispered tentatively, while still studiously avoiding direct eye contact. How ironic…there was a time when I thought I could tell him anything and everything…now I can't even look him in the eye.
"As you wish," Nicholas shrugged easily. He understood why she chose not to address him by his seishi name…after all he had done to her when he had been Nakago, he could hardly blame her. They had not parted under the best of circumstances, and it had certainly not been the finest of moments…for either of them. He could see how tense she was; her hand was clenched so tightly around the glass she was holding that her knuckles had turned white. He wondered how much additional pressure the glass could take before it shattered in her hand. She probably isn't very happy to see the ghost of Christmas past, his mental voice remarked helpfully.
Yui stood in awkward silence for a moment, looking down at her feet, "I…I have to go see how Miaka is doing, meeting one of HER seishi again…she might not be taking it as well as I am." She forced a smile at her weak attempt at humour and turned, about to beat a hasty retreat.
She flinched violently when a hand closed gently around her wrist, preventing her escape. Looking up at him in startled surprise, she found herself staring into his penetrating blue gaze.
As though sensing her fear, he swiftly withdrew his hand. "Yui-sama…I'm sorry…for everything," he said quietly.
The look in his sky blue eyes was sombre, testifying to the sincerity of the apology. The way he had addressed her; the honorific he had affixed to her name…It truly was Nakago who was speaking, not a stranger who now called himself Nicholas.
"I know…so am I." Yui allowed herself a brief, sad smile, "I guess…we both have a lot of things to be sorry about."
She knew that he would understand. There was nothing else left for her to say. She turned away, and this time, he did not stop her.
I can hardly believe…I can finally be with Tamahome…After what seemed like an eternity, Miaka shook off the stunned disbelief which had paralysed her and flung herself at the dark-haired man who looked almost exactly like her first and only love.
Taka barely had time to catch Miaka before she nearly bowled him over. He looked down at her, only to find her holding on to him as if she would never let go. Cautiously, he put his arms around her shoulders. So familiar…yet—
"Wonderful. It's your turn to keep her out of trouble now. Do try not to die again…I already have a full time job," the tone of voice was faintly mocking.
Miaka released her death grip on Taka and twisted around to direct a venomous glare at the speaker. However, as fierce as it looked,� it was obvious to everyone that there was no real heat behind it.�
Taka stared at the recipient of the glare in confusion. Easily the tallest person in the room, the blonde man had an air of calm arrogance about him, and something else, which Taka could not quite identify. It was this mysterious quality, which Taka found strangely unsettling.
A thick silence followed, as everyone in the room waited for him to reply. Taka blinked, "Do I know you?" he asked innocently.
"You…You don't remember?" A deep frown had appeared between Miaka's brows.
Taka shook his head, "Keisuke told me that I used to be someone called Tamahome. The name is…familiar." Closing his eyes, he sighed. "All I remember is that I promised someone that I would protect her forever…" his voice became softer as he struggled to put his thoughts into words. "All my life, I have been getting fleeting glimpses of a girl…you, Miaka…in my dreams."
"What I don't get is why HE has all his memories, but not Taka," Tetsuya spoke up, giving voice to what everyone was thinking. He looked over at Nicholas warily. Seeing someone who was the reincarnation of Nakago had rattled his nerves more than he would have liked to admit. I still can't believe that Miaka is friendswith the guy…I know he's done a lot for her, but his arrogance could drive a saint to drink!
Nicholas raised an eyebrow at Tetsuya's slightly accusatory tone, but had no answers for any of them. In truth, he was as puzzled as the next person…he was just better at hiding his confusion.
Keisuke cleared his throat, "So, Nak—…er…Nicholas, what exactly do you do for a living?" he asked curiously.
"Strategic business consultant," Nicholas' blue eyes flicked to the Suzaku no Miko's older brother. "I devise strategies for large corporations when they're planning a hostile takeover," he elaborated calmly, noticing the blank look on Keisuke's face.
"Figures," he heard someone mutter, "You must love your job."
Allowing the corners of his mouth to lift in one of Nakago's characteristic smirks, Nicholas glanced at Tetsuya, "Of course."
Meanwhile, Taka was becoming more and more frustrated with his inability to remember anything. Everyone seemed to know more about him than he did. They claimed that he was this "Tamahome" person, and that he had been one of the seven star warriors sworn to protect a girl called the Suzaku no Miko. He finally had a name to go with the face in his dreams. Miaka. She was the one he had sworn to protect, he was quite certain of that now, but beyond that…
Maybe this Nicholas guy can tell me something. He seems to have known me as Tamahome…He turned to the blonde-haired man, "I sorry…I know I'm supposed to remember you, but I don't," he said slowly, looking apologetic. He paused, "Were we friends?" he asked, wanting to find out as much as he could about his past life.
"No," Nicholas regarded the former Suzaku seishi with an intense, unblinking blue stare which made the other man exceedingly uncomfortable. "I'm the person who tried to kill you, several times in fact," he deadpanned with a perfectly straight face..
Shocked silence greeted the statement. Taka's violet eyes widened and he turned several shades paler; but to his credit, he managed to force out a weak laugh which sounded almost convincing, "You're kidding…right?"
"No."
"Oh…" came the strained response.
Nicholas watched with suppressed amusement as Taka nervously took a step further away from him.
"Nakago!" Miaka glared reproachfully at him, seeing the telltale gleam in his eyes and somehow knowing that he was laughing inwardly at Taka's discomfort, "You didn't have to tell him that!"
He shrugged casually, looking decidedly unrepentant, "Oops."
All of a sudden, his entire demeanour seemed to undergo a complete change. His eyes narrowed, and he turned sharply. Something had tickled his senses, not physically, but in a way that he could not quite put a finger on. Nakago would have been able to pin down whatever it was which had tripped his mental alarm instantly…unfortunately, as Nicholas, he was woefully out of practice.
Miaka stared at him in concern, wondering what had caused his reaction. "What's wrong?"
"I'm not sure," he admitted reluctantly, "Something's happening." His eyes were scanning the room, and he did not look at her as he spoke.
Then, he saw it. A red glow emanating from under the door of a room down the hallway. He heard a gasp from Miaka's brother, "The study! The Shijintenchisho is in there!"
The Book was glowing. It was also floating. The most eerie thing about it was how the pages turned on their own accord as words appeared on them. Gingerly, Keisuke approached it. Without actually touching the book, he read the words out loud.
"Eight years have passed, and the East and the South have been peaceful…but not all grievances from the war eight years prior have been forgotten…or forgiven, and old hatreds are slowly resurfacing. Now, a veiled enemy threatens the Empress-Regent and Crown Prince Boushin, the heir to Konan's throne…"
"Oh no…" Miaka whispered fearfully. Hotohori's son, Boushin…and Houki! What will happen to them if there is another war between Konan and Kutou? Her hands reflexively clenched into fists. She had to do something to help Hotohori's wife and son. She owed it to him, as a friend and as a Miko.
Even before the thought had fully formed in her mind, a brilliant red glow surrounded her and flared outwards like a sun going nova…
When the light dimmed a split-second later, she was gone…and so was everyone else.
Yui and Tetsuya stood frozen in the hallway, too stunned to do or say anything. They had been the only two people who had not been inside the study because there had not been enough space in the small room.
The Book of the Four Gods lay open on the table, as if waiting for someone to read it.
"Kuso…" Tetsuya managed to mutter, letting himself sag bonelessly against the wall behind him. "Not again."
Notes:
1)This story picks up where "This Time Around" left off. Nicholas is the reincarnation of Nakago. They are essentially the same person, except that Nicholas is slightly more open with his emotions. He's also slightly nicer now, but only to Miaka, because they are friends. However, his dry, caustic sense of humour is completely intact, and he still enjoys tormenting Tamahome/Taka!
2)Miaka calls him "Nakago" because she does not make a distinction between Nicholas and his past self.